Ulysses 2020

Charles Hopper first planted what is now known as the Missouri Hopper Vineyard (named for his daughter rather than the state) in 1873 in what is now Oakville, California. The parcel for this vineyard was purchased from George Yount. Now owned by the Beckstoffer family, a part of the original Missouri Hopper vineyard is used to produce Ulysses, a wine from Christian Moueix, a French wine maker famous for Petrus in France and Dominus in the U.S., as well as several other top wines from the region today.

Christian Moueix is one of the few winemakers to produce classic wines in both the old and new worlds, and he is also one of the most well-known. The son of Jean-Pierre Moueix, a Bordeaux wine merchant, he  was born in Libourne, France in 1946. After completing his agricultural engineering studies in Paris and graduate studies in viticulture and enology at the University of California at Davis in 1968-69, he joined his father’s company in 1970 to manage the family vineyards, and in 1991 became its president. He oversaw the legendary Chateau Petrus for 38 years, ending with the 2008 vintage.

He remained drawn to Napa Valley as well, and in 2008 Beckstoffers sold him a 40-acre section that he named the Ulysses vineyard.  The vineyard is located on an alluvial fan at the base of the Mayacamas Range,  The soil is deep, gravelly clay loam, similar to the better-drained western part of Dominus’ Napanook vineyard. But climactically the site is very different. Here, the cooling influence of the San Pablo Bay is mitigated by the Yountville hills, so summer temperatures at Ulysses can be as much as four degrees Fahrenheit warmer. Upon acquiring the property, an extensive program of replanting began, using Dominus’ unique ‘double-double Guyot’ trellising system to accommodate higher vine densities and narrower rows.

Moueix applied what he had learned both in France and California to the project. His focus has been on dry-farming techniques to sustain a sound ecology, as well as a means to produce grapes of the finest quality. Dry farming relies on a deep root system to take advantage of natural water sources from rain and underground supplies. Electric golf carts are used extensively on the property to conserve gasoline, minimize dust, and reduce soil compaction. Owl boxes and bluebird houses provide homes to natural predators of vine pests and rodents.

The Winery

The first thirteen vintages of Dominus were crushed and aged at the nearby Rombauer Winery.  However, in 1995 Moueix commissioned the design of a new $5 million, 50,000 sq ft facility by Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron,  Completed in 1997 , the Dominus Estate winery is dramatically low-slung, integrated into its landscape and offering panoramic views of the surrounding vineyard and hillsides.

The winery was Herzog and de Meuron’s first project outside of Europe. The architects have since designed numerous renowned buildings, including the Tate Modern in London, the Allianz Stadium in Munich, the Prada boutique in Tokyo, the de Young Museum in San Francisco, and the “Bird’s Nest” stadium in Beijing. In 2001, they were awarded the Pritzker Prize, contemporary architecture’s highest award.

Ulysses 2020